It is easy to create a long list of skills one needs to have. It can be done for every profession and I’ve done my share of these lists. These lists feel even more daunting when it comes to professions in which care is essential.

The task of these lists is to make people feel more comfortable. The longer the list, the more there is to learn, and consequently, the better people naming these skills are at their job. At least that’s the hypothesis.

In practice, what these lists usually say, is how many skills someone has heard of.

The real question however is, which are the skills the person is using and how do they contribute to them being a professional.